“I show up and try to make English and Literature interesting to kids,” said Murphy, who teaches at Fremont High School in West Ogden, Utah.

Murphy, also known as the “Alpha Nerd,” headed a Comic-Con panel Sunday designed to help teachers help make curriculum for sci-fi literature classes. Murphy’s decision to pitch a sci-fi lit class was based upon a simple revelation.

“I took a sci-fi lit class in college,” he said, “and it was the first class I actually liked. After teaching ‘The Scarlet Letter’ for the first time, I apologized to my students and promised never to teach it again.”

Murphy gave his students a simple proposition: “Would you rather read two awesome books or one crappy one?”

If the students want to read books they actually like, they have to work harder for it. Murphy requires two outside books per quarter in addition to whatever is assigned for class. The curriculum is filled with great stories, including “Frankenstein,” “The Island of Dr. Moreau” and “The War of the Worlds.”

But students still need to learn basic skills and pass state testing. So Murphy has them write research papers on comic book heroes and episodes of “The Twilight Zone.”

“In order to be a writer or be creative, you have to do research,” Murphy said.

Murphy, along with teachers introducing sci-fi lit classes in high school and college classes across the country, appears to be reaching his goals. Last year, his students passed with 100% proficiency on end-of-level testing.

“The other teachers hate my guts,” Murphy said.

David Williams, another Utah-based teacher who moderated the panel, said he thinks the success of programs like Murphy’s comes not just from the material, but from the passion that teachers show for their subject matter.

“You sell yourself and share that enthusiasm,” he said. “There’s kind of a synergy there.”

Murphy has created a website and Facebook page under the moniker “The Nerd in the Classroom,” where teachers can post and share lesson plans. For Murphy and Williams, it all comes back to accessibility.

“Sci-fi is a great way to access literature,” Williams said, “especially for younger readers.”